Careful What You Wish For
by SpiriterGirl
Summary: Wishes have dangerous consequences... sometimes even for the one doing the granting. Co-written with ToTheJourney2014
1. Chapter 1

A New Playmate

The air stirred around the goddess making her long pale blonde hair fan out around her as she stood glaring down at the pathetic human that dared ask her to reverse his last plea. She glared down at him powers surging as her anger rose.

"You don't like my gift Aiden? I thought that's what you said you wanted," she cruelly countered his plea. He looked up at her with fear in his eyes and put his face to the ground.

"Please, my goddess, I'm begging you. It was a mistake. The fame and the fans are too much for a poor man like me to handle," he complained as she scoffed at him. He peaked up at her through his fingers as her eyes went from silver to red in an instant and he covered his head. She shook her head at him while clicking her tongue in disapproval and walking around him. She looked down at him in utter disgust.

"You're not a poor man anymore Aiden. You're a star in Hollywood. That's what you wanted. Maybe next time you should think about what you ask of a goddess. Once something is done, it's all but impossible to go back," she ruthlessly taunted him as she came to stand in front of him again. He jumped to his feet and stuck a finger in her face.

"You agreed to this on purpose! Why didn't you warn me," he growled as she shot him back with a god bolt. He landed in the wall behind him and she smiled at him as he crumbled to the floor.

"You should know not to question a goddess. You should have known not to come to me until you read the fine print. I cannot undo what has been done. That would require a power that I do not possess Aiden.

"Perhaps you should talk to the Greek fates about what you've done," she commented before sending him away with a flick of her wrist. She walked over to her throne on top of the high dais inside her temple and smiled stroking it with the palm of her hand. Being a daughter of Chaos was always good for a laugh when things went right, but in Aiden's case, where things turned for the worst, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She sat down on the throne and thought about who to reach out to next, but she didn't hear anyone calling for her.

"Have the pitiful humans finally learned their lesson," she rhetorically asked herself as she leaned forward in her throne. "I think not," she answered herself as she leaned back focusing harder. There had to be someone who wanted her _help_. Someone had to be looking for a _miracle_, but where should she look first.

"Hmm, it's Marti Gras season, maybe I'll go for a walk in New Orleans and see what dark powers are stirring. That always brightens my mood," she spoke to herself since her attendants had left when Aiden had arrived. Her attendants were strictly males and mostly virgin, but that didn't take long to cure. She stood up and flashed to a back alley in New Orleans Louisiana.

She smiled at the wild colors and drunk humans walking around. She disguised herself as a brunette with light blue eyes and pale skin, so that other preternaturals wouldn't notice her. She didn't want any other preternatural nasty's to find her here. It was one place she loved and hated.

New Awlins was her favorite place to visit, because of the chaos that usually took place. It was also her least favorite place due to all the Preternatural's who crawled around the city and seemed to come in droves, but the worst of all was her half-brother.

He didn't even know she was his sister and she wanted to keep it that way. The last time they'd met he'd scorned her for how carelessly she used her powers and to top it off he had called her selfish. She could feel her anger mounting as she thought of the tall black haired God of Fate.

_If only his friends and Dark Hunters knew who he really was. I doubt they'd follow him, but then again they're a tight group._ She thought as her heart ached for that kind of relationship, but that wasn't to be. If her brother knew about who she really was he'd probably kill her or cast her out like a common dog.

She wouldn't be able to handle that kind of rejection again. She'd handled it once with their mother, and that was enough to make anyone loathe their family. The only company she'd known was the men who were her attendants and she'd never let them get close enough to touch her or know about her true form. They saw her as the Goddess of Wishes, like a genie in a lamp.

She granted the wishes of those who pledged something to her. Sure, she'd had her fill of it, but she knew no other life. Wishes were fickle things, always changing and never what the being truly wanted.

She held her mother's powers, but she also had a terrible secret, her father. She concealed her powers on her best day, but when her day went wrong she was uncontrollable, which was another reason she'd stayed away from relationships.

She didn't want to hurt anyone and since her mother refused to acknowledge her she had no one to help her. She didn't blame her mother though. Being the daughter of Chaos and Creation wasn't something anyone dealt with easily if at all.

She walked aimlessly down a side street unable to focus on much of anything as her thoughts swirled. Maybe she should tell her brother, he had been merciful in the past, but could he forgive her or would he look at her as a pain in the ass. She couldn't judge her brothers actions. She could, but she didn't want to add that to her repertoire.

Maybe she should try a new hobby. Reading perhaps, yes, that would pass the time. Maybe she could actually do some good her in New Orleans. She looked up and noticed a hanging sign.

That had to be a sign from the fates. They had never been nice to her, so right now she was suspicious. Her gut told her fate was about to change for better or for worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Matthew Phillips woke up and slowly stretched as he climbed out of bed. He took a few moments to walk over to his bedroom window, pulling back the curtains to look at the world outside. He loved living in New Orleans, Louisiana. He had been born in the city and had never been away longer than a week at a time. This was his city, and he intended to make sure that it was around for a long time to come.

He walked down the stairs of his two-bedroom antebellum home and into his kitchen, fixing himself a quick breakfast before going back upstairs and taking a shower to get ready to start his day. He dressed himself in a pair of black jeans and a light grey t-shirt, slipping his feet into his oldest pair of tennis shoes before jogging back down the stairs. He grabbed his keys and wallet out of the drawer in the hall table before going outside and sliding behind the wheel of his car. He drove across town to the homeless shelter and parked out front.

"You're late!" a voice called out with a teasing tone to it as Matthew opened the driver's door of his car and climbed out. The young woman was leaning against an open door frame as she watched him. "We started without you."

Matthew growled playfully. "The one morning I choose to hit my snooze button /one/ time, and you decide you can't wait fifteen minutes to start cooking," he replied with a grumble. "I guess that means I'm left to get everything set up out front, right?"

"Yep!" she responded with a smug grin. "We left all of the grunt work for you."

Matthew stuck his tongue out at her as he reached over and ruffled her hair. "You're looking great, Michelle. How's school going?"

Michelle grinned as she slipped her arm around Matthew's waist. "It's going great. If I can keep my grades up, I'll be able to transfer to the university next fall. You had a great idea about getting my basics out of the way at a two year college first. It's made the transition of losing my family and finding my own way a lot easier." Her smile took on a sad tone as she took a shaky breath. She swallowed hard and shook her head, a determined look coming into her eyes as she made a deliberate change of subject. "And I can't thank you enough for giving me a job."

Matthew leaned over and kissed Michelle on the cheek as the two of them stepped into the kitchen. "I needed the help, and you've been a great asset... well worth the money I'm paying you." He gave her a small push toward the drinks, which was her serving station as the two of them helped four others every day serve a good portion of the homeless in the city. "I'll see you this afternoon," he called after her before heading into the dining area to make sure all the trays, silverware, and plates were stocked for the people who would begin coming in for breakfast in the next fifteen minutes.

"Thanks, again, Matthew," Roger Ames said as he shook Matthew's hand after the six volunteers had finished cleaning up after breakfast was over. "I don't know what we would do without you."

Matthew brushed off the comment, shaking his head. "I'm sure if I wasn't here, someone else would be. These people need help. I'm just glad I can do a little to help out." He slid back behind the wheel of his car and drove the few blocks over to the bookstore he owned. It was time to open up for the day.

The Eye Of New Orleans had been open for ten years. Matthew had opened it with the money he had received from his parents on his eighteenth birthday. The first few years had been hard, and he had almost given up, but word had slowly gotten around and the business had been growing steadily since then. The bookstore offered at least one section of every genre on the market, but there was a large area in the back corner that was reserved for books concerning the history of New Orleans. The decorations around the store showed the owner's love of the city and his determination for maintaining its rich history.

Matthew unlocked the front door of the bookstore and flipped on the lights. Leaving the 'Open' sign turned off for now, he moved around the store to make sure that everything was in its place. He double checked the amount of money in the cash register and made sure that the counter was completely spotless. Taking a few minutes to water the plants he kept around the store and to fluff up all of the cushions, he finally moved back to the front wall and flipped the switch to turn on the 'Open' sign.

It wasn't long before the bookstore was full of customers, and Matthew was completely lost in helping his customers find the books they were looking for. He kept a list of books that he didn't have in stock that people requested, and he took some time between customers to call people on the list who's books had come in.

Michelle bounced in the store a little after noon and stowed her school bag under the counter. "Go!" she said, giving Matthew a helpful push toward the door. She laughed as she watched him for a few moments before turning her attention to the customers.

Matthew shook his head as he stepped back outside and walked down to the Cafe Nemond where he normally ate his lunch every day. He ordered a sandwich and bag of chips to go, grabbing a bottle of water to go with the food, and paid for everything before waving to the owner and leaving the cafe. He ate his food as he walked along the sidewalk, stopping when he got to one of the older businesses in the city. It was a restaurant, and there was an abandoned building next to it that was threatening to fall over on top and crush it. Matthew, and a team of fellow volunteers, were working to bring the abandoned building down safely and make use of the materials it would provide so they could give the restaurant and other older businesses a much needed face-lift.

Michelle hummed to herself as she worked, dancing to a beat that only she could hear as she assisted customers and kept the books put away where they belonged. Like her boss, she too lost track of the time as she worked. It was easy to do inside the bookstore where one's imagination seemed to come to life. She was sorting through a box of books that had arrived on a truck that afternoon when she heard the bell above the door sound. She glanced over and let out the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. "Hey, Matt! How'd it go?"

Matthew smiled at her. "Great. We were able to take the roof completely off, along with most of the wall that is next to the restaurant. There's no longer any danger of the restaurant being crushed."

"That's great!" Michelle responded. She shook her head. "You do too much around this city, Matt. You need to take some time for yourself." She frowned a little. "You look exhausted."

Matthew waved off her concern. "I'm fine, Shell," he answered. "And making sure this city stays the way it should is doing something for myself. I love this city. I don't want what it stands for to get lost." His eyes were haunted as he stared out the window into the street. With a little difficulty, he pulled himself from his thoughts and turned his attention back to his college-aged friend. "Get going," he instructed her. "You've got just enough time to make it home before it gets too dark."

Michelle hesitated for just a few moments before sighing and nodding her head. She retrieved her school bag from under the counter and gave him a hug before she left the bookstore and disappeared down the street.

Matthew had just finished sorting through the box of books that Michelle had been going through when he had come in when he heard the bell above the door chime. Knowing it meant a customer had come in, he straightened up and looked toward the door with a smile on his face. The greeting he had been about to give froze on his lips as he stared at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3

Danyella smiled at the sound of a small bell as she opened the door of the little bookshop she had spotted. She tossed her long dark hair over her shoulders and looked around as she stepped inside. She glanced over all of the rows of books before her ice blue eyes came to rest on the piercing blue eyes that belonged to the shop keeper. She felt heat rising into her cheeks as she looked past his long dark brown hair and into what seemed to be his soul.

She grew hotter as she realized that he was watching her, and she wasn't sure what to do. She took a moment to catch her breath before walking gracefully toward the desk, a pair of black skinny jeans and a white tank top hugging her slim but curvy frame. "I was looking for a good book to read," she commented. When the man didn't respond to her comment, she put her forearms on top of the desk and offered him a small smile. "Do you have any suggestions?" she asked as she looked deeper into his eyes, expecting to be able to find out everything about him that she wanted to. Her eyes widened a little in shock as she realized that she couldn't see every single fact about his life the way she could with any other mortal being. To her, he was a complete blank. This was something that she had never experienced before.

Matthew took a deep breath and forced himself to look away from the most incredible set of blue eyes he had ever seen before. He growled a little as he realized that he was blushing and cleared his throat, hoping she wouldn't be able to notice. "That would depend on what type of books you're interested in," he finally answered. "There are millions of good books out there. It's all a matter of narrowing down the fields to decide which is a good one for /you/."

Danyella blinked at him and looked around at the shelves of books again, trying to decide what to tell him. "Recently I've been reading the histories of European nations, such as Greece and At... Italy, but they've started to bore me. They seem so repetitious and dull. I'm looking for something that will give me a spark, something to motivate me to do something," she answered, barely catching herself before she mentioned the sunken city that her mother sank just before she was born. She wished she cold tell him what she really was and who she really was, but she kept that thought to herself. She didn't even understand where that thought had come from, and she hoped she had enough self-control to keep everything a secret.

Matthew thought for a few minutes before he finally spoke. "Well, if you're interested in histories then you might want to check out the history of New Orleans." His smile broadened as he started talking about one of his favorite subjects, slowly leading her over to the correct section of books. "We have a very diverse one that will interest anyone."

"Sure, I don't know much about New Orleans. Do you know a lot about the city? Your eyes lit up when you talked about its history," she commented, walking behind him so she could watch the way he walked. He was a tall drink of water, and it was a bit refreshing to see that she couldn't see every single detail about him. "Maybe I should have you tell me about it instead of reading about it," she stated, flirting with him as she leaned up against one of the bookcases.

Matthew took a few moments to consider her suggestion as he browsed through the various titles. It felt odd to realize that the woman was flirting with him. That was something that he wasn't used to. He had been on a few dates in his lifetime, but he had never really been to object of flirtation before. He nervously cleared his throat and shifted from one foot to the other. After selecting a few titles, he held them out for her to take so she could look at them. "I would be happy answer some questions for you or tell you a few stories." He cleared his throat again. "Maybe, umm, maybe over dinner one night?"

She grinned as she saw his nervous body language and took the books from him, purposefully letting her hand touch his while making it seem accidental. "Sure." she responded. "I'll buy these, too, so I can think of some questions to ask at dinner. What night is good for you?" she asked as she sauntered back to the counter and put the books down on top of it. "You shouldn't be so shy," she commented. "You're good looking, a gentleman, and you have such a good vibe about you." She looked over her shoulder to find him still standing between the book shelves. He was a specimen of pure untapped human intellect and intelligence, and his body wasn't bad either. She found herself wanting to take a taste and find out as much more as possible.

Matthew felt himself blushing and shook his head. "I think you need glasses," he muttered under his breath before he walked back over to the desk. He took a few moments to ring up her purchases and bag them up for her before giving her another shy smile. "Is Saturday night okay? We're closed on Sunday so I won't have to bail on you early that night." He laughed a little. "Of course, you'll still have plenty of reasons to bail if you want to. I can't promise I'll be the most entertaining date. A lot of women find my stories to be boring."

She scoffed as she handed him the cash to pay for her books. "Saturday it is and I won't bail on you," she commented taking the handles of the bag before she gave him an encouraging smile. "You're the one who needs glasses, because I'm not like other women," she commented, moving to one of the chairs that were scattered around the store. "Is it okay if I stay and read for a while? I don't really want to head home yet," she honestly added hoping that wouldn't seem awkward.

"Stay as long as you want," Matthew responded. "We're open for another three hours yet." He smiled as he watched her settle in. "I'll even order you a pizza if you want." Before she could respond, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the local pizza parlor. After placing the order, he smiled at her again. "I'm hungry, so we'll share."


End file.
